Seth MacFarlane's Oscar Song

[klunderbunker]

[youtube]CQdXkfRoXTc[/youtube]

This song has been called offensive, sexist, and according to Jamie Lee Curtis, "on the level of public executions." Simple question here: stupidity aside, was this song offensive and/or inappropriate?

As for offensive, no. At the end of the day, other than the Scarlett Johansson ones, all of the actresses posed for these shots in their films and it was no secret that the scenes were in the movies. It's not like they were pornographic and it's not like they were a secret. it was probably embarrassing for some of the women, despite some of them participating in the gag with the prerecorded reaction shots. Calling it on the level of public executions though is absurd. Jamie Lee Curtis was topless in Trading Places and won a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress. Is that award like an execution? It's a reminder of a movie in which she was topless, much like the song.

As for inappropriate, yeah it probably was. The Oscars are a classier awards show than most so the song was probably pushing the limit a bit too far. That being said, when you hire the guy who created shows like Family Guy to host your show, the idea clearly is to be edgier and funnier than previous hosts have been. Saying it's like a public execution though is going too far with the criticism.

Thoughts on this? Was the song offensive? Going too far? Are Jamie Lee Curtis and other people criticizing it nuts?

 

[Con T.]

I would have had less problems with it if some of the scenes he mentioned also didn't have scenes that had, or came after rapes. Do I think Seth McFarlane's really stupid enough to joke about rape?

Why, yes. Yes, I do. He's made millions off being a man child, I don't see any reason to think he wouldn't make a joke out of rape. In fact, I'm pretty sure some of his shows have. But, four of the objects of his jokes were in rape scenes when he came out with it.

Was it offensive? I don't know about you, but I'm not going to joke about rape... So yeah, fuck off, Seth.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Eh, it's Seth MacFarlane? Did you REALLY expect a tamed and sensible host with dry and safe jokes (i.e. Billy Crystal, and I swear if he ever hosts the show again, I won't watch)? MacFarlane is known for his outrageous, edgy, and raunchy humor. That's his bread and butter, but the Academy put a leash on him last Sunday. MacFarlane walked to the edge of the cliff, but he wouldn't step over it. He was trying really hard to be raunchy, but he couldn't go all the way.

Jamie Lee Curtis' reaction doesn't surprise me at all. She's known for having very strong and straightforward opinions regarding women. She proudly posed for some magazine (or magazines, I can't remember) wearing a bikini with grey hair, and it was an attempt to show other women how proud she was of her body in an all-natural showcase. But yeah, you can't forget about that scene in Trading Places, so I can see where the hypocrisy complaints come from.

All in all, I didn't care for the song. I thought it was silly and over the top, but not mean-spirited and offensive. I honestly don't see this as a big deal. Plus, MacFarlane came out on Twitter and said he'll probably never host the Oscars again, so hopefully this story will fade away after a while.

 

[jmt225]

I will never understand America's problem with boobs. It's fucking ******ed. They're BOOBS. What's there to get so defensive about?

Jesus, had the song been about how many heads Stallone and Schwarzenegger blown off in their movies, would it be a big deal? No, because American society accepts depicted violence just fine, but when it comes to sex and the female body? It's World War fucking 3 if a female nipple gets exposed on television. Give me a fucking break.

I will never understand this mind-set in America.

 

[Con T.]

I will never understand America's problem with boobs. It's fucking ******ed. They're BOOBS. What's there to get so defensive about?

Jesus, had the song been about how many heads Stallone and Schwarzenegger blown off in their movies, would it be a big deal? No, because American society accepts depicted violence just fine, but when it comes to sex and the female body? It's World War fucking 3 if a female nipple gets exposed on television. Give me a fucking break.

I will never understand this mind-set in America.

Very well then.

Rape's pretty violent. And I know in some of the movies Seth mentions, the scenes we saw boobs in were rape scenes.

So there's that

 

[jmt225]

Very well then.

Rape's pretty violent. And I know in some of the movies Seth mentions, the scenes we saw your boobs were rape scenes.

So there's that

When writing the song I sincerely doubt it entered his head. He just had a list of actresses names and movies, and tried to make it rhyme. There was no ill intent there.

 

[Con T.]

When writing the song I sincerely doubt it entered his head. He just had a list of actresses names and movies, and tried to make it rhyme. There was no ill intent there.

Understood, but that's part of the problem.

Seth didn't consider it an issue that what was a pretty powerful scene, and make it out as a punch line. I'm sure he never watched the scenes, which is what you're getting at. But shouldn't he at least think, "hey, the whole fricking world's watching me. Might wanna do some research on this one."

I mean, it isn't like Seth to make a rape joke or two....

[YOUTUBE]NFIDVMYx34o[/YOUTUBE]

Actually, the more I think about it....

There was no ill intent there.

Why does that excuse him here, again?

 

[Richard]

The actresses willingly showed their breasts in the movies mentioned. If they aren't mature enough to have it pointed out they were seen then they should think about showing them in film in the future.

I don't think there was anything wrong with the song.

 

[Tastycles]

It's just embarrassing them for the sake of embarrassing them, though isn't it?

When I was at school, people like him were deemed the funny ones, but in reality all he's doing is getting cheap laughs while making women feel embarrassed. Yes, I know they got them out voluntarily, but that's not the point. In all the films he's said, there's an artistic reason for that happening. He's reducing it to a peep show. I don't care, but it's pretty easy to see why they were offended.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Simple question here: stupidity aside, was this song offensive and/or inappropriate?

No and no

I dont find it offensive because of simple fact that it didnt meant to be offensive and it didnt and even if its a little over the top i dont find it innapropriate because Oscar over the years became everything but a place where boring guy in toxedo just reads the program. That part of the program was meant for stuff like this and it delivered. If anything, it makes this years ceremony more memorable.

Its like the IWC in wrestling. IWC wants "Attutude era" back but when Punk berates King Lawler after heart attack we have 10+ pages of ppl bitching about it. In here its a same thing, people want edgier TV but when you give it to them some find it too offensive so they bitch about it.

 

[#tamale]

It's just embarrassing them for the sake of embarrassing them, though isn't it?

When I was at school, people like him were deemed the funny ones, but in reality all he's doing is getting cheap laughs while making women feel embarrassed. Yes, I know they got them out voluntarily, but that's not the point. In all the films he's said, there's an artistic reason for that happening. He's reducing it to a peep show. I don't care, but it's pretty easy to see why they were offended.

This.

For me, it has nothing to do with the fact that woman in the audience were embarassed; which they had every right to feel.

It has nothing to do with the fact that those scenes are after some pretty powerful rape scenes; which shows he lazy he is in researching his material.

It's the fact that to me his whole comedy "act" is lame, boring, low, and cheap. That's all it is.

So, offensive? Yeah. Inappropiate? Yeah. But what it all boils down to is that Seth McFarlane sucks.

 

[Daniel]

Offensive? Some people were offended by it. So yeah, I guess. It wasn't definitively offensive, but nothing ever is. Inappropriate? This, yes. 100%. The Oscars is about celebrating great film. Opening the ceremony with a song called "We Saw Your Boobs" and listing some truly great films because they had nipples in them degrades it all. It certainly lowers the tone of what is supposed to be the most prestigious event in film.

But note, this is not Seth MacFarlane's fault. He was hired to do a job, and he did it. This is the Academy's fault for allowing the ceremony be a sideshow to the host. At this point I was going to write a small rant about how Jamie Lee Curtis was silly for comparing the song to public executions. And thank God I did, because it's been taken wildly out of context. She actually makes some very valid points.

 

[Con T.]

No and no

I dont find it offensive because of simple fact that it didnt meant to be offensive and it didnt and even if its a little over the top i dont find it innapropriate because Oscar over the years became everything but a place where boring guy in toxedo just reads the program. That part of the program was meant for stuff like this and it delivered. If anything, it makes this years ceremony more memorable.

Seriously, who let you out of grade school with this type of paragraph?

You can be offensive and not intend to be offensive. You realize that 99% of the time when you say, "no offense", the person's going to take offense, right?

Anyway, this paragraph is bad, and you should feel bad. Very, very bad. Just so long as you don't breed though, we're cool

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Seriously, who let you out of grade school with this type of paragraph?

You can be offensive and not intend to be offensive. You realize that 99% of the time when you say, "no offense", the person's going to take offense, right?

Anyway, this paragraph is bad, and you should feel bad. Very, very bad. Just so long as you don't breed though, we're cool

My bad english comes with the fact that I am not American or anybody from english language area and even though I speak the language I dont practice it that much because I dont need it for like 95% of my time. Other 5% are mostly for watching movies without subtitles.

Due tell me, whats your excuse for being a dick just because our opinion doesnt match?

Sorry, dont see it as offensive. Wasnt meant to be that way and it wasnt(at least to me). I realise that there are people like Jaime Lee who can take offense but I just dont see it that way. Funny song and thats it.